Cats + Tree = ???

Just put up our (fake) tree for this year. Of course, the cats are attracted to it like a moth to a flame. Last year every night while we were sleeping and every day while we were gone, his fat butt would climb on the lower branches, bending them until they touched the ground, and knocking down every ornament from a cat-height and down.

This year we've decided to move the tree to the office because with our new furniture there is no room in the livingroom (would require moving too much furniture around). Only problem? The door to the office doesn't close (never has). We've tried closing it and pulling heavy objects on the other side of the door but these cats can still push the door open and get inside no matter what we do to get to the tree.

The "boundary" sprays at the petstore work... for a day. But they are pricy!

Any suggestions at what to do to keep them away?!?!?! I'm at my wit's end here!! If we're awake and in the condo, they don't go anywhere near it. But the second we go to bed or leave, they are all over it!!! I have been awake since 4am because of their tree shenanigans this morning

Get yourself an inexpensive playpen, and put the tree inside it. That's what we had to do when we had Gracie the Great Dane - as her tail was apparently not connected to her brain, and a wagging tail could knock ornaments of all but the top foot of the tree!

Also, fishing line to attach the tree to a wall is also good -- just wrap a length around the trunk and anchor on two sides of the wall.

Oh, geez - I thought the whole purpose of having a tree was for the cats' enjoyment! Seriously, that's why I'm not putting one up this year: the cats have ignored it, so I can't see the point. I think the playpen idea is a good one - or could you get a baby gate high enough to keep them from jumping over?

can you put a extra tall baby gate in the doorway They are pressure mounted
://www.toysrus.com/graphics/product_images/pTRU1-http3549519reg.jpg
i attached a link if it does'nt work just type extra tall baby gate in the search

We no longer have a tree at the Found Cats Hotel.
That reminds me of the story of when Smokey our Cat knocked over the family Christmas Tree and destroyed a lot of ornaments that were irreplacable , family heirloom.
My Dear Mother was upset but dis not punish Smokey , she said that he was one of God's creations and did not know better.
I have never forgotten that.

I am surprised, my cats never climb my tree, never have even back when we had a fresh cut live one. They DO love to play with the ornaments on the lower levels, bat those around and I find them all over the house in the morning, but other than that, no issues here.

Do you have toys out for the cats? Rub some catnip on the toys to make them more attractive.

I got tired of picking cats out of my Christmas tree years ago. I don't put one up any more.

No matter what anyone does, someone some where will be offended some how!!!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~MY BLESSINGS:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Grandma (RB), Chester, Angel, Chip
Leonardo (RB), Luke (RB), Winnie, Chuck,
Frankie
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~WHERE YOU ARE IS WHERE YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE!!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I never had a cat/tree problem either when I had cats. They used to play with the ornaments on the bottom branches, so unbreakable ones always went there - just in case. I had to quit using tinsel tho, since my old Meezer would slurp it up like spaghetti. Luckily - he passed it tho. YUK!

My son's cats never bother the tree much except for playing with the decorations toward the bottom like my cats did. However, they like to nest in the tree skirt all scrunched and balled up to suit themselves. I could straighten the skirt out a dozen times each day - and they would rearrange it that many times too.

I can't imagine NOT having a tree - even if it was a big attraction to the felines.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wolfy ~ Fuzzbutt #3

My little dog ~ a heartbeat at my feet

Sparky the Fuzzbutt - PT's DOTD 8/3/2010
RIP 2/28/1999~10/9/2012

Myndi the Fuzzbutt - Mom's DOTD - Everyday
RIP 1/24/1996~8/9/2013

Ellie - Mom to the Fuzzbuttz

To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.
Ecclesiastes 3:1

The clock of life is wound but once and no man has the power
To know just when the hands will stop - on what day, or what hour.
Now is the only time you have, so live it with a will -
Don't wait until tomorrow - the hands may then be still.
~~~~true author unknown~~~~

I can't imagine NOT having a tree - even if it was a big attraction to the felines.

I really don't miss having one. It's just me and the cats now and I find Christmas still comes without one. Besides, it was sooooo depressing taking it down every year.

No matter what anyone does, someone some where will be offended some how!!!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~MY BLESSINGS:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Grandma (RB), Chester, Angel, Chip
Leonardo (RB), Luke (RB), Winnie, Chuck,
Frankie
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~WHERE YOU ARE IS WHERE YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE!!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I really don't miss having one. It's just me and the cats now and I find Christmas still comes without one. Besides, it was sooooo depressing taking it down every year.

How about a small table top lighted ceramic tree? That might work. No decorating required and the cats can't climb it.

Years ago my departed MIL took some pottery classes, and for Christmas that year, all the kids and their spouses got a beautiful ceramic tree. I still have it (but not the spouse!!) and put it up in the "village" I set up on the sofa table. It has become tradition, and if I say I'm not going to bother setting it up, I get all kinds of grief from my son and grandkids. Soooooooo - it always goes up!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wolfy ~ Fuzzbutt #3

My little dog ~ a heartbeat at my feet

Sparky the Fuzzbutt - PT's DOTD 8/3/2010
RIP 2/28/1999~10/9/2012

Myndi the Fuzzbutt - Mom's DOTD - Everyday
RIP 1/24/1996~8/9/2013

Ellie - Mom to the Fuzzbuttz

To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.
Ecclesiastes 3:1

The clock of life is wound but once and no man has the power
To know just when the hands will stop - on what day, or what hour.
Now is the only time you have, so live it with a will -
Don't wait until tomorrow - the hands may then be still.
~~~~true author unknown~~~~

I don't know what to suggest. I haven't put a tree up since I've had cats. I did try to put a small one up which was fake but my RB Storm decided that the tree tasted good so he'd munch on the branches. I also tried putting up other decorations but unless I put them up very high, one of the cats would get to it and play with it. I do have a small white tree that lights up which I keep up high in my bedroom. So far so good with this one.

How about a small table top lighted ceramic tree? That might work. No decorating required and the cats can't climb it.

Years ago my departed MIL took some pottery classes, and for Christmas that year, all the kids and their spouses got a beautiful ceramic tree. I still have it (but not the spouse!!) and put it up in the "village" I set up on the sofa table. It has become tradition, and if I say I'm not going to bother setting it up, I get all kinds of grief from my son and grandkids. Soooooooo - it always goes up!

I do have a ceramic one. Not good around my monsters. They break everything. I also have a small white fiber optic one. You put battries in the base and the branches change color. It is beautiful. For some reason, the last time I put it up, I took one look at it and burst into tears. I'd rather not have one.

No matter what anyone does, someone some where will be offended some how!!!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~MY BLESSINGS:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Grandma (RB), Chester, Angel, Chip
Leonardo (RB), Luke (RB), Winnie, Chuck,
Frankie
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~WHERE YOU ARE IS WHERE YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE!!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I am determined to have a tree up this year. They don't play in it, but Sherpa eats the artificial needles and pukes everywhere. So....this year I have the tree up on an end table, and I sprayed perfume around the base of it. Now I have a headache because I overdid it with the perfume, LoL!